US – Jim DeLuca is retiring after a 37-year career encompassing manufacturing, labour relations and quality. Alicia Boler-Davis will take over as executive vice-president, Global Manufacturing, with the transition beginning immediately.
In her new role, Boler-Davis will report to Mary Barra, chairman and CEO, and lead 180,000 employees at 171 facilities in 31 countries. She will also have responsibility for labour relations. Boler-Davis has served as senior vice-president, Global Connected Customer Experience since November 2014, and was head of Global Quality and Customer Experience from 2012. She was also plant manager of the Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping facilities in Michigan.
“With all the change facing our industry in the next several years, Alicia’s vast and diverse experience and proven track record for delivering results will help ensure our global manufacturing performance and capabilities are aligned to meet the challenges ahead,” said Barra. “Alicia’s strong manufacturing background, combined with her recent roles leading quality and the customer experience, will allow us to grow an even stronger customer-focused link to our people and processes in manufacturing.”
Barra added that DeLuca has “played a key role in driving significant improvements across the globe in quality and manufacturing costs”.
DeLuca began his career at the OEM in 1979 as a General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) student at Linden Assembly Plant, New Jersey. He has held a number of senior manufacturing roles, including vice-president of Quality for GM Asia-Pacific and GM Daewoo Auto & Technology from November 2007, and vice-president of Manufacturing for General Motors International Operations since 2013.